Enrollment
331
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Statesville, NC
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370231000983
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 11
- schools in Statesville · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 40.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #4 of 11 schools in Statesville, NC.
School address
District: Iredell-Statesville Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370231000983 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Statesville, North Carolina, enrolling 331 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 331 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 233 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #136.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Statesville's public schools, it stands alongside East Iredell Elementary (663 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 14.4:1).
Iredell-Statesville Schools also operates Lake Norman High (1,905 students) and South Iredell High (1,768 students) alongside Central Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Elementary compares
Central Elementary on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.5% | ▼ 39% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 331 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
331
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 69% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,865
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 331 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 86.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 2.1%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 86.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.2, Central Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Iredell-Statesville Schools, which includes Central Elementary.
$10,865
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 53.9%
Federal 21.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Norman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Iredell High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Statesville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Iredell High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Troutman Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,768
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 983
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Statesville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
East Iredell Elementary
Standard public school
663 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Cloverleaf Elementary
Standard public school
568 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Celeste Henkel Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Third Creek Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
N B Mills Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Scotts Elementary
Standard public school
283 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~331 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Iredell-Statesville Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 331 students enrolled. It is a public school in Statesville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 5% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
40.5% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 86.7% of enrollment, in Statesville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Elementary rank among schools in Statesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #4 of 11 schools in Statesville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Statesville on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Iredell-Statesville Schools?
Besides Central Elementary, Iredell-Statesville Schools also operates Lake Norman High (1,905 students), South Iredell High (1,768 students), and Statesville High (991 students). See the Iredell-Statesville Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.